The present invention relates to the sport of snow boarding and pertains particularly to improved snow boards.
The traditional sport of skiing is carried out on a pair of skis, which comprises a pair of elongated runners, each separately attached to a separate foot of the skier for the purpose of supporting a skier on the snow surface to enable sliding along the surface thereof on skis. Skis are used both for cross-country and downhill travel.
There has been recently introduced a sport known as ski or snow boarding wherein the skier utilizes a single wide runner, several times wider than the traditional ski, and stands sideways or crossways of the board, facing to one side with one foot before the other, and travels along a ski slope in a manner similar to that of a surfer or a skate boarder. The snow boards typically consist of a single panel formed in the general shape of a traditional ski, but typically the same length and much wider to enable the skier's feet to extend transverse to the axis of the board.
As in any skiing, it is desirable to traverse the slopes, particularly steep slopes in order to maintain some reasonable control on the speed or velocity of the skier. Typical snow boards are difficult to maneuver in this fashion for the reasons as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the skier is traversing the hill or slope, such that he stands with his toe pointed downhill facing downhill (FIG. 1), it is much easier to accomplish or obtain the necessary bending of the ankles and/or knees to maintain the snow board reasonably supported on the surface of the snow. However, when the skier faces uphill as shown in FIG. 2, it is difficult to maintain the feet in contact with the upper surface of the board, and at the same time maintain the lower surface of the snow board in contact with the surface of the snow. For this reason, it is difficult for the snow boarder to maintain good control of his board during his run.
The applicants have devised a modification in snow boards which overcomes the above problems, and provides numerous improvements in the snow board.